Comparison and cost-benefit analysis of PIT tag antennae resighting and seine-net recapture techniques for survival analysis of an estuarine-dependent fish

Abstract Studies of fish ecology are enhanced by precise and accurate knowledge of survival, which can be estimated from capture-recapture/resighting based survival probabilities. We conducted a cost-benefit analysis of resighting by an array of 11 autonomous PIT tag antennae and recapture by seine netting, and compared the effectiveness of the two methods for recapturing/resighting marked fish in an estuarine environment. During three separate marking periods, we marked a total of 2109 fish with PIT tags, recapturing 106 by seine (5.0%) and resighting 1700 by antennae (80.6%). Antennae resulted in precise monthly survival estimates while seine netting did not, but antennae did not collect ancillary data (e.g., growth) and their use was limited to areas where fish used constricted passes